CAMPERS SOLVE MOCK CRIME

Forty-eight kids from across the county gathered Wednesday at Camp Guilrock
to work together to solve the murder of Felix Navidad.

"You get to work as though you are a police officer," said Tommy Griffin,
Drug Abuse Resistance Education officer said to the campers. "We're going
to give you the other side. You get to see what police do to solve a crime."

In its tenth year, D.A.R.E. Camp gives children the opportunity to work on
team building activities and have a little fun along the way. Each day this
week, the kids participated in different crafts and had adventures,
including a trip to Celebration Station.

Today, the kids are going to see Spiderman 2 then go bowling. On Friday,
when this year's camp comes to a close, all participants are invited to a
family cookout at Lake Reidsville.

After a day of swimming Wednesday, the rising middle school students
participated in a different kind of activity. The campers collected and
examined evidence to link a suspect to a murder.

Before the campers went to the crime scene to investigate, they learned a
thing or two about proper procedure from their D.A.R.E. officers. Tommy
Frazier demonstrated proper evidence retrieval and Mark Thompson explained
the recovery of fingerprints.

They were also warned from passing judgments on the crime and culprit.

"Keep an open mind or otherwise, you'll be fooled," Griffin said.

Navidad was found dead shortly after 3 p.m. by a friend. A recent
inheritance inspired Navidad to purchase a beach house and throw a party
for his four friends.

However, one of his four friends ended his life.

The campers worked for hours using forensic science to solve the
crime. They studied footprints, obtained fingerprints and eliminated suspects.

After each team figured out the crime, it was time to get the full span of
a camping experience. This year was the first overnight event at the camp.

D.A.R.E. camp started ten years ago, when D.A.R.E. was gaining popularity
in the school system.

"We wanted to enhance our program," Griffin said.

Griffin has been educating Rockingham County youths for more than 10 years,
teaching them to "recognize and resist the direct and subtle pressures that
influence them to experiment with alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and other drugs."

As a requirement, each fifth grader must complete an essay, titled "What
D.A.R.E. means to me."

The D.A.R.E. essay is used as an assessment tool to make sure the
curriculum goals are reached each year, Griffin said. But also determines
who attends camp.

The first invitations to camp went to the top boy and girl D.A.R.E. essay
winner from each class, said Kelly Howell, DARE officer, but more often
then not, the winners don't fill the camp to capacity.

With the remaining spaces, the D.A.R.E. officers invite underprivileged
kids to participate. Howell said these kids usually don't have the
opportunity go to camp. The officers take this opportunity to put a
positive aspect into the lives of an "at risk" kid.

"Over the year we get to know the kids and we can tell the ones that need
encouragement and role models," Howell said.

Although the camp requires a $60 application fee, those who can't afford it
still get to go to camp -- a hardship fund was established to cover the
expenses.

The camp, which costs more than $4,000, functions through donations and
fundraisers.

For camp counselors, former role models and outstanding students local high
schools volunteer a week with these kids.

For all involved, the camp creates a situation where the kids get to know
others. The first day, each camper had to introduce another one and tell
the other campers about their new friend.

"At camp, kids from all walks of life get to know each other," Howell said.